Fire and Water

Thanks for review Fifteen Stitches. I\'m still thinking about that R/H story. I\'m working on a Sirius/OC which develops into a R/OC but it\'s slow going as I\'m looking at it from a drama angle rather than romance. I have several more Remus/OC and a couple of threesomes that I\'ll probably eventually put up.





Chapter Eighteen



It was late that night when Krystal came back to the Gryffindor common room. She’d spent the day hiding out with Sev in his room, playing chess, and studying. They’d talked a little about what had happened, roundly abusing the Marauders. Severus was surprised when Krystal told him she’d broken up with Remus, but he had always secretly thought she was too good for the werewolf, so, despite her obvious misery, didn’t try to get her to change her mind.



Remus was sitting on the couch, rising as he saw Krystal enter the deserted room. ‘Krys..’ he said, his voice cracking. She looked over to him, her face no longer angry, but very sad.

‘I’m so sorry, Krys’ he said, feeling his stomach twist at her expression. He had spent the day in the common room, waiting for her to return. He had allowed himself a few terrified tears once the room emptied, wondering how on earth he was going to convince her to take him back.



‘Are you sorry you didn’t try to stop them, or sorry that I’m angry?’ she asked, looking at him with a frown.

‘Both,’ he answered, coming around the couch to stand in front of her. ‘Please Krys. I’m begging you. I love you.’ He saw her lip tremble, and she blinked quickly before she turned away.



‘Do you know why I’m so angry?’ she asked, sitting on the arm of a nearby chair and looking back at him.

‘It was a despicable thing to do, and I broke my promise to you,’ he said, moving towards her, before halting as she held up a hand.



She took a deep breath, exhaling loudly before speaking. ‘Did you know that I absolutely hate Peter?’ she asked, startling him with her change of subject.

‘I..um…no,’ he stuttered, shaking his head, a little stunned by her statement.

‘Well, I do,’ she said, standing again and beginning to pace. ‘I can’t stand him. He gives me the creeps, and I loathe hanging around with him.’



Remus was shocked at her admission. He’d seen that she kept a certain distance between herself and Peter, but he’d never known she disliked his friend so intensely.

‘I didn’t know you hated him so much, Krys. You never told me,’ he said, frowning.



‘No,’ she replied, stopping and crossing her arms in front of her. ‘I never told you because he’s your friend, and I wanted to respect that friendship. I didn’t want you to have to choose between spending time with him or me: the way I had to choose between you and Sev.’



He closed his eyes as he suddenly understood what she was telling him. ‘I’m sorry, Krys,’ he said. ‘You’re right. I’ve never respected your friendship with Severus. I’ve never treated him as if he was important to you. I didn’t realise I was making you choose between us.’



He felt very frightened now. It had hit him just how much she cared for Severus; and how much he’d hurt her by hurting the Slytherin.

‘I guess I just don’t understand why you’re friends with him,’ he admitted. ‘You’re such a good person and he’s….’ Remus stopped, thinking better of what he was about to say.

‘He’s a good person too,’ Krystal insisted. ‘You don’t know him like I do, Remus. You don’t know what he’s been through; why he is the way he is.’

‘Then explain it to me,’ he said, coming closer to her. ‘Tell me why he is the way he is.’



He saw her eyes change; become guarded. She shook her head. ‘I can’t,’ she said firmly. ‘I made a promise to a friend and I won’t break it.’ Her words stung him, reminding him of why she was so angry with him.

‘It doesn’t matter anyway. It should have been enough for you that I care about him, that he’s my friend. I’m sorry too, Remus. I love you….’ Her voice broke, and she clenched her eyes closed tightly for a second.

‘But I can’t be with someone who doesn’t respect my friendships. You broke your promise. You made me choose, Remus.’



Remus felt pain sweep through him as she stood and turned away from him. Tears filled his eyes as he reached for her arm, stopping her. He moved to stand in front of her and held her face in his hands.

‘Please, Krys,’ he whispered, his voice breaking as a sob rose in his throat. He saw her tears and lowered his face to hers, kissing her mouth.

‘Please. I will do anything. Just don’t go,’ he murmured against her cheek, tasting her salty tears on his lips. Or were they his tears?



Her hands raised to his face and she kissed him hard, her lips shaking, before releasing him, and running up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. Remus felt as if he’d been hit hard in the chest and stomach, the feeling making him stagger a little. Unable to breathe properly, he sat down on the couch in front of the fire, staring into the flames for a moment before the feeling of loss undid him, doubling him over as he began to shake, and hot tears streaked down his cheeks.



‘Krys. We’re sorry. We’re all sorry. Come on, won’t you just talk to him?’ Sirius asked, frowning as he spoke to her before she Flooed home for the holidays. Krystal had broken up with Remus two days ago, and Sirius was concerned for his friend. He wasn’t eating or sleeping, staying in bed, claiming to be ill for the last couple of days.



Krystal shook her head, fighting down her own sorrow.

‘No, Sirius. I have to go,’ she said, stepping into the fireplace after one of the Hufflepuff girls. She raised her handful of powder, preparing to say the name of her destination.

‘He’s miserable, Krys. He won’t eat, he can’t sleep. It was our fault - James and I,’ he said quickly. She looked at him and he saw the tears in her eyes.



‘Do you think I’m enjoying this, Sirius?’ she said, her voice low. There was pain on her face as she spoke. ‘I love him. But he made a promise to me, and then broke it without a second thought.’

She shook her head, her face beginning to crumple. ‘I’m sorry, but he did this to us when he chose to help you.’

She blinked rapidly and regained some control., her face and eyes hardening. Throwing down the powder in her hand, she called her address out loudly, vanishing from Sirius’ view.



Both Krystal and Remus spent a dismal two weeks at home, snapping at their parents and friends when they expressed their concerns, Krystal eventually refusing to see the particularly persistent Lily or Sirius, or read any mail from them or James. Unbeknownst to both the teenagers, their parents had met up to try and find out what had happened, to no avail as their children had refused to discuss their break up with them; Remus’ parents confiding that he was every bit as depressed as Krystal.



Krystal had been trying to do as Albus had told her to do; to allow herself to feel the pain instead of burying it. But it was hard: the hurt threatening to overwhelm her, the constant feeling of being on the edge of tears frustrating her, making her feel weak and helpless. So, almost against her will, she slowly allowed herself to sink a little more into the shadows each day, letting the dark replace Remus as her safe place.



Krystal spent a lot of time with Severus, the dark haired boy seeing her gradual descent into the cold, dark place he himself knew so well, and he grew concerned. She had lost weight, and was pale, her hair hanging unbrushed and stringy around her face. She’d barely left her bedroom the whole two weeks, and he couldn’t believe what he was about to tell her to do.



‘Give him another chance, Krystal,’ he said, surprising her.

‘After what he did to you?’ she said, shaking her head.

‘Look, I don’t like him. I don’t like any of them. But you…you love him, don’t you?’ She looked at him, tears prickling her eyes as she nodded.

‘I’m a big boy, Krystal. I’m used to be treated like that by them, and I don’t like seeing you so miserable.’ He saw her eyes hardening a bit and tried to distract her.

‘You’re no fun when you’re like this - you‘ve ruined my holiday,’ he accused lightly, trying to make her smile, succeeding a little.

‘Krystal, I would give anything to have Lily back in my life,’ he said faintly, pain crossing his face at the thought of the girl he still loved. ‘It’s a horrible way to live - wishing you’d made other choices. Don’t do that to yourself.’ His brow furrowed, and Krystal reached over and grasped his hand.

‘Thanks Sev. I’ll think about it.’



Krystal lay awake in her dormitory, rising when she saw the sun creeping over the horizon. Last night, her third back at Hogwarts, had been a full moon, and she couldn’t sleep. A feeling of dread had remained with her all night, and she wanted to go and see Sirius to check how Remus had gone with his transformation.



They hadn’t spoken much since coming back to school. Sirius, James, Lily and, to Krystal’s surprise, Severus had all tried again to talk her into taking Remus back, and her resolve was wavering. She was so unhappy, on the verge of tears all the time. She felt hollow and empty. And Remus looked awful, although, according to Lily, she also ‘looked like shit’.



She could feel his red rimmed eyes on her when they were in classes together, and she’d had to excuse herself several times, running to the bathroom before she broke down, only returning to class after she spoke furiously to herself, demanding that she regain control. Being around him now made the dark and cold disappear, leaving her vulnerable and hurting, and resentful to both Remus and Albus for making her feel this way.



She tried to spend as much time in her room as possible, eating early or late or not at all to avoid seeing Remus. Lily was alarmed yesterday morning watching her change for class, seeing her pinning the waist of her skirt which threatened to fall off her hips. She had lost a lot of weight now.

‘Jesus, Krys,‘ she’d said, staring at her. ‘You need to eat something.‘

She’d dragged her to breakfast, but Krystal was unable to eat more than a mouthful as Remus sat at the other end of the table, glancing up at her often.



‘I know he let you down, Krys,’ Lily said, seeing her friend sneak a look at Remus. ’But he’s sorry. He’s a good guy; he loves you so very much, and you love him. It doesn’t have to be this hard.’

Krystal looked at Lily with tears in her eyes, barely holding herself together. She turned and looked at Remus again, catching him watching her. His face creased in pain when their eyes met, and he quickly left the table, unable to sit there any longer after seeing the misery in her face; the tears in her eyes, knowing he couldn’t do anything to make her feel better.



Remus went to the nearest bathroom, splashing cold water on his face, trying to stop yet another outbreak of tears. He’d never cried so much in his life, or felt such extremes in his emotions - going from numbness to anger to despair quickly. Whenever he saw Krystal, she looked so sad, and it hurt. He’d noticed she’d lost weight, and looked tired. Exams were quickly approaching, their NEWT level, and they were both worried they would fail because of their misery.



Lying in bed now, Krystal sighed. She hadn’t spent any time with Sirius or James since returning to Hogwarts, and didn‘t really want to have to talk to them now. Dressing quickly in a t-shirt and jeans, she snuck up to the boys room, expecting they would be back by now. She intended to quickly find out that Remus was alright, and leave.



The room was empty, though and she sat on Remus’ bed to wait. Her heart hurt as she realised she could smell his aftershave. She touched his pillow, then, almost against her will, picked it up and held it to her face, breathing in the scent of him as her eyes again began to fill. Feeling a sob in her throat, she stood up again, throwing the pillow down.



‘This is ridiculous,’ she thought to herself. ‘He helped do something horrible to my friend, why can’t I hate him?’ She stared at his bed, as memories of the night’s they’d spent together there ran through her mind. The sob that had been stuck in her throat escaped and, for the first time, she began to really weep, holding her head in her hands as uncontrollable tremors rocked her. She sank back down to sit on the edge of his bed.



She didn‘t know how long she‘d sat there when she felt an arm snake around her shoulders, and looked up, startled, to see Sirius sitting next to her. She quickly wiped at her face, but he took her hands in his.

‘It’s ok to cry, Krys,’ he said gently. ‘No one else is here. Just get it out.’

She shook her head, but her tears continued to fall, her mouth continued to shake and, as he pulled her close to his chest, she felt her misery explode from her lips in great, heart wrenching sobs.



A few minutes later, he handed her a fresh handkerchief and she wiped her face. She saw him watching her with concern, and she tried to smile.

‘Sorry. I suppose that’s the last thing you needed this morning,’ she said in a husky voice. She heard it and cleared her throat.

‘That’s alright, Krys. I think you needed that,’ he said quietly. ‘You really love him, don’t you?’ She nodded, and looked at him, seeing a flash of pain in his eyes.

‘Siri…’ she began, feeling tears well up again at seeing his hurt.

‘It’s fine, Krys. I know how much you love each other. I can’t understand why you’re willing to lose that when so many people want just a little of what you have together,’ he said, irritably.

She felt his words hit her like a physical blow. She really was throwing away something special, wasn’t she?



He stood up abruptly. ‘I was going to come and find you. He had a bad night, Krys. Really bad.’ Krystal looked at him closely for the first time, seeing the scratches up his arms.

‘Did he do that?’ she asked. He turned to look at her.

‘I think he’s angry with us; that deep down, he partially blames us for your break up. He was pretty rough with us, but worse with himself.’

He lifted his shirt, taking it off and Krystal gasped, seeing the long scratches on his chest and back.



‘God, Sirius…..’ she began, but he interrupted.

‘You should get up to the infirmary, Krys. He’s banged up really bad. We couldn’t stop him hurting himself this time. James stayed transformed and carried him up to the castle on his back and we levitated him to the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey didn’t see us. We couldn’t leave him in that state. He could have d….’

He stopped, not willing to put voice to that terrible thought.



She stared at him for a moment in shock, then moved to him, hugging him quickly.

‘Krys,’ he whispered, allowing his anxiety to show. ‘I’m worried he’s done some permanent damage this time.’

She nodded and hurried from the room, running to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey refused to let her see him at first, but Krystal pushed past her, nearly knocking the woman to the ground as she tore open the curtains to see Remus. A small cry of anguish left her and she raised a shaking hand to her mouth, stepping forward slowly as her eyes ran over his body.



The nurse came up behind her and, seeing the tears in her eyes, put her hands on her shoulders, offering comfort to the distressed girl.

‘He must have passed out when he got here. I managed to get a pain potion down his throat; he must have been in agony, he was moaning. It’s the worst I’ve seen him,’ she confided, her own face creased in worry. ‘I’ve asked the Headmaster to let his parents’ know. He may need to go to St. Mungo’s for a few days.’

But Krystal wasn’t listening. She couldn’t focus on anything except the man in front of her.



He was unconscious, and thankfully, the potion seemed to have worked. His face was scratched and bruised, but calm and peaceful. She saw a long, deep cut along his jaw that she knew would never fade. His entire body was damaged, broken.



Krystal’s eyes moved over him as Madame Pomfrey listed his injuries. ‘Broken arm, collar bone as well. I believe his leg is fractured in a few places too. His cheekbone is broken under that cut, and his jaw was fractured. I’ve already mended that - I had to try and open his mouth to get the potion into him.‘ She shook her head, her own face pale as she continued.

‘I think he may have damaged his throat, there’s a lot of deep bruising around his neck. Broken ribs, at least five or six. And I don’t like the look of this bump on his head. I think he may have fractured his skull. I don’t know how he made it back here. Some of these cuts are very deep. I’ll have to get him cleaned up before I can see how bad they are. If they are too deep, he’ll have to go to the hospital. They’re sending a healer to help me.’ The woman looked over at Krystal. ’And I haven’t checked for any internal injuries yet.’



Krystal felt her mouth quivering and she bit her lip, blinking back the tears in her eyes. Remus was still covered in blood, making it difficult to see exactly how bad his cuts and bruises were. Madame had a bowl with a sponge ready next to his bed, and Krystal reached for it, running it carefully over him, before rinsing it out, alarmed at how quickly the water turned bright red. The nurse must have sensed she needed to do this, and left her, saying she’d return to heal some of his cuts when Krystal had finished washing him.



Her hands shook as she moved the cloth over him, magically emptying and refilling the bowl when the water became red. As the blood was removed, she could see exactly how badly he’d hurt himself, and tears escaped down her cheeks as she blamed herself for his pain. Uncovering a long, deep cut along his stomach, she looked at him.

‘I’m so sorry, Remus,’ she whispered.



‘You didn’t do this to him, Krystal,’ said a quiet voice behind her. She turned to see Remus’ parents and Albus behind her. Mrs Lupin moved to stroke her son’s hair, as Mr Lupin stepped forward to stand next to Krystal, looking down at Remus, a curse escaping his lips. Krystal made to leave, but Mr Lupin held her arm.

‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘He wants you here.’

When she shook her head, he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him in an embrace.

‘He loves you, sweetheart. No matter what happened between the two of you, that never changed. He needs you here.

Krystal fought back her tears and nodded. Remus’ mother also hugged her, and then helped her finish washing the blood off his legs.



Madame Pomfrey appeared with a male mediwizard she introduced as from St Mungos Hospital. They were assessing how bad a shape Remus was in, and pulled the curtain around the bed as they examined him. They were in there for over an hour, terrifying Krystal, who thought the worst. Remus’ mother had begun to cry, and her husband hugged her to him, his own face showing his distress as the wait grew longer.



She felt Albus put a hand on her shoulder, and, before she could stop herself, she’d turned and buried her face in his chest as fear overtook her, shaking her. He soothed her as her father used to when she was little, running his hand over her head.

‘This hurts too much,’ she thought. ‘How could anyone let themselves feel this if they could avoid it?’

She refused to allow any more tears to fall, quickly regaining control of herself. She’d been weak enough today; Remus needed her strength now. She lifted her head, her eyes harder now as she buried the pain she felt. She didn’t see Albus watching her with growing disquiet.



Finally the curtain opened, and the four of them stepped forward anxiously.

‘I think he’ll be able to stay here for now,’ said the male healer to Remus’ parents, who sighed in relief.

‘We’ve healed the broken bones and the cuts. Poppy will keep a close eye on him for infection: some of those wounds were pretty deep. His skull wasn’t fractured luckily, he’s got enough to worry about without that. His kidney was quite bruised as was his throat, but otherwise internally he is alright. I’ll check back tomorrow, but he should recover. A little slower than usual maybe, but he’ll be fine.’



Krystal’s legs gave way, and she felt Albus’s hands steady her.

‘I’m fine,’ she said, trying to step forward, but he held her shoulders firmly.

“Albus, please,’ she said, her voice hard. ‘I’m fine.‘

She turned to the bed to see Remus. He looked a little better, clean and his cuts closed. The bruising around his previously broken bones was purpling now, the physical shock to his body lingering despite the fact the bones had been healed.



‘Family only now, Miss O’Connor. You can come back another day,’ said the nurse. Krystal’s frowned. She didn’t want to leave him. Remus’ father overheard the woman and came over to where they were standing.

‘Krystal is family. She’ll stay as long as she wants,’ he said reprovingly to the nurse, as he drew her over towards the bed.



The three of them stayed by his bedside all day, Albus arranging some meals to be sent up. Sirius, James, Lily and Peter turned up at lunchtime and were stunned to learn the extent of Remus’ injuries. Krystal surprised them by hugging each of the boys, including Peter.



‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you all hadn’t have been there.’

She shuddered and banished the thought from her mind. They left for classes, promising to take notes for her and Remus, Sirius giving her an extra hug before he left.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked quietly, noting her skull white skin and blank eyes. She shook her head.

‘Not really, but I’m no good to him if I do nothing but cry, am I?’ she said, with a small smile.



Remus’ parents convinced Krystal to go and shower and change after dinner, and while she was gone, Remus woke up for the first time. His parents’ relief was palpable when they told her.

‘He asked for you,’ Mr Lupin said, as they prepared to depart for the night. They had been reassured that Remus would recover and they had spoken to him, so they were finally happy to return home for the night.

‘Did he?’ she said, frustrated that she hadn’t gotten to see him.

‘We told him you’d been here all day. The potions are wearing off,’ Mr Lupin said, sensing her distress. ‘He’ll wake again soon.’

She nodded and hugged them both before they left.



It wasn’t until nearly three hours later that Remus woke again with a groan. He looked around, feeling the stiffness of his body now that the pain potion had worn off.

Madame Pomfrey hurried into the cubicle holding another dose of potions.



‘Here,’ she whispered, helping him sit up then handing him two vials. ‘This is for the pain. This one is to put you back to sleep.’ But he wasn’t listening. He had just seen Krystal asleep in a chair next to his bed, her head on the bed next to him, arms folded under her for a pillow.



‘Krys,’ he whispered, his voice almost nonexistent.

‘You’ve bruised your throat a bit, Mr Lupin,’ said Madame Pomfrey, trying to get him to swallow the potions. ‘Try not to talk too much.’

She looked at him watching Krystal and sighed, smiling a little.

‘She’s been here all day. Nearly knocked me over to get to you this morning.’ He looked at her, a corner of his mouth twitching.

‘She fell asleep about an hour ago. Take the pain potion at least,’ she said, shaking her head as his eyes moved back to Krystal. ‘I’ll leave the other here for when you want it.’ He nodded vaguely, swallowing the potion she helped him hold to his lips. She put the other on the side table and left, pulling the curtains closed.



His chest ached in a way that had nothing to do with his injuries. Stretching a hand gingerly towards her, he shakily ran his hand over her hair. She made a noise in her throat and her head twitched. He did it again, and this time, she moved, raising her head and looking at him blankly for a second.



‘Remus,’ she gasped, standing up when her brain comprehended what she was seeing. He was startled to see her pale face and red, swollen eyes.

‘You ok?’ he asked, hoarsely. She stared at him for a moment, then began to laugh, her eyes filling with tears.

‘Am I ok?’ she asked him disbelievingly, as her laughter became a little hysterical. She collapsed back into her chair and grasped the hand he’d stroked her hair with. Lowering her head to the bed, she kissed his palm and then held his hand against her forehead as her laughter disappeared and she began to cry in earnest, her relief cracking the walls she’d put up around her heart.



Remus felt his own eyes fill with tears, wanting to hold her; to comfort her.

‘Krys, I’m alright,’ he reassured her, his voice raspy, but strengthening. She nodded against his hand, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sadness.

‘I’m so sorry, Remus’ she said, voice muffled as her lips were back on his hand. ‘I did this to you.’

He shook his head, noting quickly that his pain was gone again - the potions had kicked in.

‘No,’ he said, his voice not as gravely now. ‘I did it to myself. Krys? Honey, look at me. Please?’ She looked up, wiping her tears off her cheeks.

‘You aren’t responsible for this; I am. I bought this on myself.’ He watched her wipe her face on her sleeves, still holding his hand.



‘Come here,’ he said, unable to stand her tears any longer without holding her. He pulled her towards him and she sat on the bed next to him.

‘You’re too hurt,’ she said, refusing his efforts to get her to come closer. He looked at her carefully, fear flooding through him.

‘I’m sorry, Krys. I assumed because you were here, you had changed your mind about us. That you might have forgiven me.’ Pain that had nothing to do with his injuries, stabbed through his chest and he winced.

‘I shouldn’t have assumed….’



Her lips found his, making him forget what he was going to say. Krystal kissed him gently, trying not to hurt him, but he was having none of it. His hand moved to the back of her neck and held her to him, deepening the kiss, hearing her moan as his tongue flicked against hers. He was short of breath when they parted, and her hands came up to hold his face.

‘I was so scared. I thought I’d lost you. I thought….’ she couldn’t finish.



The tears had begun again; falling like rain on the sheets under them. She realised then that it was Remus she could always fall into; that he made her feel safe enough to let go; to feel. She couldn’t keep her walls up around him.

‘I love you, Remus. So much it frightens me. I can’t lose you. I can’t be without you.’



Relief rushed through him, and he held her tightly against him, running his hands over her back.

‘I’m so sorry, honey. I swear I will never hurt you again. I will never let you go again. I love you, I love you so very much, Krys.’

He kissed her desperately, tears running down his face as he tried to show her how much he loved her.



She kissed him back, holding him close. When his shortness of breath made them part, he pulled her against him, falling back onto the bed.

‘Don’t move,’ he said fiercely as she tried to move away, concerned about his bruises. ‘I need you here, Krys, remember. I heal faster, so stay close.’



She did. And he didn’t need his potion for sleep. That night, he slept better than he had in weeks, despite his injuries. Krystal lay awake for longer, her hand pressed against him so she could feel his heart beat, and the regular rise and fall of his chest.



The pain that had gripped her for the last few weeks was finally abating. She felt worn out and drained, and determined to never allow herself to feel like that again. If this is what it felt like to allow yourself to feel pain; to hurt, she didn’t want any part of it. Krystal kissed Remus’ skin under her cheek.

‘I can’t ever lose him again,‘ she thought. ‘It hurts way too much.‘

Forcing her tears down, she finally let sleep take her.



They were awoken the next day by a beaming, and blushing, Mr and Mrs Lupin, who were thrilled to see their son smiling again.

‘I assume from the smiles on your faces that you’re together again,’ said his father later, when Krystal had left to shower and change, and his mother was talking to the nurse.

Remus grinned and nodded. ‘It was my fault, dad,’ he admitted, feeling shame at his behaviour. ‘I helped play a joke on one of her friends and she dumped me.’

His heart hurt thinking about the last few weeks and how miserable he’d been without her.

‘I hope you’ve learnt from your mistakes, Remus,’ Mr Lupin said, seeing the frown on his sons face.



Remus nodded, then looked at his father. ‘Dad, I want to marry her,’ he said, seeing his fathers surprised look.

‘Remus, there’s plenty of time…’ but Remus shook his head.

‘I told her ages ago I was going to propose after we left school, but I don’t want to wait. I want to marry her as soon as we finish our exams,’ Remus said firmly.

He looked at his father, seeing his frown. ‘I don’t need your permission, dad,’ he said softly. ‘But I’d like your support.’



Remus’ father shook his head. ‘It’s not like you to be so impulsive, Remus,’ he said, continuing quickly when his son opened his mouth to interrupt.

‘If you want to do this, I will support you. You know your mum and I love Krystal. We think she is wonderful for you, but you are both so young. Just promise me you’ll both think very carefully about this before you make a final decision. Consider everything.’



Remus nodded, then his mother entered the room with Krystal following her.

‘Are you still awake?’ Krystal said with a frown, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead. His face lit up when he saw her, and his father blinked rapidly.

‘Come on,’ he said to his wife. ‘I think we need a little fresh air.’

Ignoring her confused expression, he pulled her out of the room, leaving Krystal and Remus alone.



‘That was subtle,’ mumbled Remus, with a slight grin. Krystal sat on the edge of his bed with a suspicious expression.

‘Alright,’ she said with a resigned tone. ‘What’s going on?’

Remus smiled. ‘Nothing,’ he said, sitting up slowly then putting his arms around her waist. ‘I was just telling my dad how I plan on marrying you the minute we leave Hogwarts.’



She looked at him, startled. ‘I thought we talked about this,’ she said with a little smile. ‘Remember? My father? You suffering a slow and painful death?’

He smiled but the amusement soon left his face. ‘I don’t want to wait, Krys,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I want to marry you as soon as we leave here. Which means, I suppose, that this is a proposal.’

Krystal looked at him with her mouth open, speechless only for the second time in her life.

Remus took advantage of the rare silence, and asked, ‘Will you marry me, Krys?’



Krystal stared at him, stunned. ‘Remus,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘We’ve got nothing. No house to live in, no furniture, no jobs, no money.’

Remus felt a little stab of panic. ‘So, you’re saying no?’ he said, his jaw clenching.

‘No,’ she said with a small smile. ‘That’s not what I’m saying.’

His smile reappeared. ‘So, it’s a yes then?’



‘I’m not saying that either,’ she replied, letting out a little breath of amusement at his frustrated look.

‘Remus, I want to marry you,’ she said, smiling at him. ‘I can’t think of anything that would make me happier than to be your wife.’

He grinned and she shook her head. ‘But I want us to be ready. I don’t want us to be living with our parents, searching for work, saving up for a place to live. We’d both be frustrated, and we’d end up getting on each other’s nerves’



He sighed, knowing she was right. ‘How about this?’ she said, wanting to make him smile again.

‘We get jobs, and find a place to live as soon as we can. Then we’ll move in together.’

Remus grinned at the thought of having her to himself all the time, and she laughed as she continued.

‘If we can stand being in the same house together, then I’ll let you propose again - and I’ll definitely say yes.’



‘Promise?’ he said, moving his hands up her arms and feeling her goosebumps at his touch.

‘I swear on my life that next time you ask me to marry you, I‘ll say yes,’ she replied, leaning forward to kiss him, moaning when she felt his tongue sweep over her lip.

‘Although if you keep kissing me like that I might change my mind,’ she murmured against his lips.



‘Keep kissing her like that and she’ll be banned from the ward, Mr Lupin,’ they heard the nurse say from the foot of the bed, frowning at them.

‘Time for your medicine.’ Krystal blushed and giggled as she got up and Remus took his medication.